Baseball fans don't have a lot of choices when it comes to video games this year, and they'll have even fewer next year. But there's still plenty of good gaming to be had in the current crop of baseball simulations.

This is Electronic Arts' last hurrah as far as baseball games, after rival Take Two acquired the exclusive rights to develop third-party baseball titles featuring Major League players and stadiums.It's a strong effort, with a new manager feature that should appeal to hard-core simulation fans more interested in managing concession stands than belting home runs.Pitching is pretty straightforward. Setting pitching power and placement is second nature after a while. Batting is more difficult, and all that can really be controlled is the timing of your swing.The graphics are a little bleary, although the animation is good.The online play is serviceable, and since it's EA, there are plenty of other gamers out there.

Take Two's baseball title looks and feels great, and I prefer the hitting and pitching interface to "MVP Baseball's." Unfortunately, there's no manager mode, and the emphasis is clearly on arcade play.For instance, occasionally the game will bring up a "slam zone" interface during a pitch, and the batter will get a clear view of where the ball is going. Line up the cross hairs with the pitch fast enough, and you're guaranteed a huge home run. The slam zone feature can be turned off, but if you're not a fan of that type of hardball, you're better off with "MVP Baseball" or Sony's "MLB 2006."Online play with "MLB 2K5" is a breeze, and there were plenty of other players to play against.

Sony's PS2-only baseball game is surprisingly good. The graphics are extremely crisp, the animation is excellent and the sounds are very sharp.From a pure technical standpoint, it's my favorite of the three baseball games I tested. The game play is great, and it plays a lot like "MVP Baseball 2005."Once again, there's no manager mode, but a bigger problem was the online play. I got dumped out of the first online game I played, plus my PS2 froze up completely and I had to restart the console.Other players online have mentioned experiencing similar glitches, so if you're a big fan of online play, you may want to stick to one of the other titles.But if online play isn't a big deal, then don't feel shy about going with Sony's less well-known house brand.